Chapter 8: Marta

Two weeks later the snow returned and decided to stick around. The temperature dropped sharply and I watched closely as the creek began to freeze up along the banks. Gil kept watch as well from his small cozy cabin only a stone’s throw away.

Travis could not have been happier. The snow was his element and he loved nothing more than to go out for hours whenever it fell. Sometimes I would find him sleeping nearby, only a mound of snow giving him away.

For me, the issue of snow removal became a serious concern when we got 6-8 inches at a time. It was more than I could conveniently move with the Yanmar. So, I joined the queue of poor planners waiting to be scheduled to bring the truck in to have it fitted with a plow. In the meantime, I stopped by an outdoor sports depot and admired their selection of snow machines, cats, ATVs, and side-by-sides, many of which were already fitted with plows. It wasn’t fair that the salesperson was a supermodel! Nor that she offered me a warm cup of coffee with a heart-melting smile. Still, I didn’t regret that the papers were signed before my coffee was even cold. She even arranged for me to borrow a trailer to haul it home in, with a dire warning that she would come looking for me if I didn’t return it, wink wink.

At first, the snow plowing process was fun. I spent hours meticulously clearing my road, as well as the branch to the hot springs (it had been a while since anyone came by and I was eager to test the new cameras). I did my best to scrape the clearing daily so Gil didn’t have to hike through knee-deep snow on his way over for groceries or to borrow the laundry facilities.

Kevin was beside himself a couple of days after we gave him the gold to be appraised. He was able to sell the dust for over $7,000. He handed the stack of 100-dollar bills to Gil and we both enjoyed his expression at how fat the envelope was.

It was the nugget that caused quite a stir, however, as it appraised at far more than its weight value. The appraiser, he said, was gobsmacked by its beauty and suggested we put it to auction. Naturally, word got out and Kevin was inundated with queries, offers, and requests to see it. It ended up selling for $115,000, nearly three times its weight value. And by using Kevin as a third party, Gil was sheltered from all the publicity and prying eyes eager to find the source of the nugget.

With his newfound wealth, he was able to purchase all the parts for his sluice run and had it stored away for the coming spring. Despite his dedication to solitude and his hermit ways, I could tell he was taking to the notion of comfortable living. He insisted on purchasing his own generator to provide power when he needed it, and he became a fan of microwavable dinners.

My custom-built shop ISO container was completed but was unable to be transported because of the severe weather. So, I busied myself with keeping my road clear and even improving and extending the road and path into the hot springs. I cleared the path enough that I could drive the ATV all the way to the first pool and began collecting some of the garbage and debris that was scattered about.

I made several nice signs politely asking visitors to please leave the place nicer than they found it. I even left several boxes of trash bags on a nearby shelf next to the NO Naked HIPPIES ALLOWED board. Looking over my shoulder I tried to spot the tiny self-contained camera mounted up in the tree covering this area. It was invisible. I was able to clearly watch as visitors proudly posed in front of the sign in all their naked glory for videos and selfies.

Eventually, I had to block off the trail leaving a gap just wide enough for my ATV, to prevent cars from trying to go all the way in. This necessitated another sign at the entrance with a list of simple rules:

No motorized vehicles beyond this point.

No fires.

No vandalism.

Bring it in—haul it out.

As word got out, I began seeing more visitors who thought nothing of braving the cold winter to enjoy the springs. I even noticed a gradual improvement as the trash bags were put to use and taken away. I had established a burn pit where my road joined the clearing and I used it to incinerate all of my burnable garbage. This is where I brought the broken-up plastic chairs, cushions, and old rotten mattress in an effort to help out. Every so often I took advantage of the quiet solitude and enjoyed a nice soak of my own. My activities didn’t go unnoticed, however, as I found out once when I found a pop-up window on my monitor inquiring:

Sir, do you have a license for that snake? <animated winking eye>

I was clearing my foundation for the shop just before lunch one day when I heard the distant signature rumble of a big Harley. The poorly muffled popping from the tailpipes echoed about the walls of the canyon. It would come and go but drew closer before stopping with a loud crescendo, returning stillness and quiet to the forest.

Curious, I went inside to check the monitors. Several windows had already opened displaying the detected activity in their respective area. I saw the bike slowly make its way down the cleared road and turn into the springs. It continued on right through the block until it parked next to the Last Chance sign. There was a rider and passenger, obviously male and female by their respective sizes. The guy was tall and broad-shouldered but not noticeably fat. He wore heavy riding leathers which were in stark contrast to the thin jacket of his passenger. I watched as he pulled her off the bike. Her hair was wild and unbound and she stood shivering with her arms wrapped tightly around her small frame. She was wearing a thin floral-patterned dress and sandals over her bare feet.

Apparently, they came for a photo op because he produced a small camera and began directing her to pose around the area for him. Then he ordered to slip her dress off enough to expose a breast and continued snapping shots as she moved about. Through the audio pick up I could hear his harsh tone as he bid her to continue undressing until she stood naked before him, shivering violently.

He became angry and shoved her back towards the pool. “Fuck this! Go get in the fucking water and warm up then,” he snapped, “ain’t nothing sexy about you standing there holding yourself like your tits are freezing off.” She obediently stepped up to the pool and tentatively tested it with her toes.

“Hurry the fuck up!” he snarled. “Goddamn bitch, ain’t it cold over there in Russia or wherever the fuck yer from?”

Quickly she sank into the pool up to her neck, still covering her breasts with her arms as she settled into the steaming water.

“Good. Now try and look like a good fucking whore for once.” He took more pictures and ordered her to raise herself so that her small tits could be seen. Then he made her step out, placing one foot against the edge revealing her bald vagina. “That’s it. Good. Now finger your pussy and look at me like you can’t wait for me to fuck your brains out.”

I grew angrier as I continued watching it play out. Once he was finished, he decided that she should get out of the pool and kneel before him while he stuffed his camera into his pocket and undid the fly of his pants. My face grew hot and I turned to grab my coat and gloves before stepping into the clearing and climbing into the cab of the ATV. Travis bolted up from his napping place on the porch and sauntered after me as I drove quickly up my road.

I pulled through the roadblock and continued into the clearing where I found the fucker turning to look at me as he pulled on the young woman’s hair. She tried to grip his hands as he pulled her around, tears streaming down her face.

Turning off the engine, I stepped out. “What’s going on here?” I demanded.

“What the fuck is to you, ass-wipe?” he sneered releasing her hair and letting her fall to the ground crying.

“This is my land,” I replied angrily, “and I want you off of it right now!” I pointed to the woman cowering by his feet. “She stays.”

That really pissed him off and he began stomping towards me with his fists held ready. “Oh, is that what you think mother fucker?” he snarled. I found myself several inches shorter than him which probably gave him his foolish sense of superiority. Granted he looked like a total bad-ass. But I wouldn’t give him a day in the prison yard. With almost casual disinterest I removed my jacket and tossed it to the girl who quickly snatched it up and covered herself.